The present invention relates to a fuel assembly for a nuclear reactor, preferably of the PWR type.
A fuel assembly of a known design comprises a plurality of fuel rods and guide tubes for control rods or arranged solely as water tubes in certain special nuclear reactors, the fuel rods and guide tubes being maintained in predetermined mutual positions by means of spacer grids, hereinafter simply called spacers, which are positioned along the fuel assembly. Top and bottom nozzles are arranged at the ends of the fuel assembly and fixed to the guide tubes which extend somewhat above and below the ends of the fuel rods. In fuel assemblies of this type, the spacers are prevented, in operation, from moving along the guide tubes by means of a weld to the guide tube or a bulge in the guide tube at the respective spacer. A drawback with such an embodiment is that it is difficult to detach a guide tube from the fuel assembly for repair.